


Why Montparnasse isn't the villian in Les Miserables (and why you should stop writing him as such)

by Boossuet



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Essay, Its an essay on Montparnasse and how theres no evidence of him being abusive, Kind of a character study, at least to people he cares about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 07:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6601345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boossuet/pseuds/Boossuet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Literally a 2,000+ word essay on Montparnasse and how he deserves better</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why Montparnasse isn't the villian in Les Miserables (and why you should stop writing him as such)

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't proofread this at all, so sorry for any mistakes!
> 
> EDIT: Now lightly proofread and with an extended Eponine part!!!
> 
> EDIT: Extended with a revamped ending!

The topic of this essay is one that has been discussed very little (or not at all) despite the fact that it should be. The fandom for Les Miserables has a very serious problem with defining Montparnasse as an abuser in their fan fictions just for the sake of having a villain. It happens most in fan fictions pertaining to the character Jean 'Jehan' Prouvaire, especially when the aforementioned character is to be paired with Courfeyrac. The troupe tends to go this way: Jehan is in an abusive relationship with Montparnasse and is always saved by Courfeyrac because he is being portrayed as weak, which is not only an awful mischaracterization of Montparnasse, but also of Jehan. The aim of this essay is to take what Victor Hugo tells us in the novel to give us evidence that even though Montparnasse is said to be a thief and a murderer, he is not abusive. First, I will introduce you to Montparnasse, using the introduction Victor Hugo gives us. Second, we will see the similarities and parallels between Enjolras and Montparnasse. Next, we will see Montparnasse's relationship with Gavroche and the symbolism of it. After that, we will see what kind of relationship Montparnasse has with Eponine. In conclusion, we will see the right and wrong ways the fandom writes and imagines Montparnasse. 

First, we will start by giving you a little bit of information about Montparnasse, as found in Volume III, book VII-- Patron-Minette, Chapter III in Les Miserables: 

“A lugubrious being was Montparnasse. Montparnasse was a child; less than twenty years of age, with a handsome face, lips like cherries, charming black hair, the brilliant light of springtime in his eyes; he had all vices and aspired to all crimes.”

From the first part of Montparnasse's description we see that even though he is only a teenager, he is already a slave to vice and crime. As we read further, we will see what made him that way. First, let's take a short look at the word 'lugubrious.' In both its French and English form, 'lugubrious' means “looking or sounding sad and dismal” and is a synonym for mournful. Now this could mean that Montparnasse is a sad person, but when we look at how Hugo describes other sad or dismal characters in Les Mis we see that the language he uses is vastly different. 

“The digestion of evil aroused in him an appetite for worse. It was the street boy turned pickpocket, and a pickpocket turned garroter. He was genteel, effeminate, graceful, robust, sluggish, ferocious. The rim of his hat was curled up on the left side, in order to make room for a tuft of hair, after the style of 1829. He lived by robbery with violence. His coat was of the best cut, but threadbare. Montparnasse was a fashion-plate in misery and given to the commission of murders. The cause of all this youth's crimes was the desire to be well-dressed. The first grisette who had said to him: "You are handsome!" had cast the stain of darkness into his heart, and had made a Cain of this Abel. Finding that he was handsome, he desired to be elegant: now, the height of elegance is idleness; idleness in a poor man means crime.”

From this second part, we see that Montparnasse started out as a street gamin, much like the character of Gavroche, but we see that being told he was handsome led him to this life of vice and crime. It makes us wonder what Montparnasse would have been like, if that grisette hadn't told him that he was handsome. Would he have found his way to a life of crime anyway or would he had become honest? Hugo saying a Cain had been made of this Abel leads us to believe that Montparnasse could have been honest. You could use Montparnasse's narcissism as an example for why he is a bad person, but we will use it to draw a slight comparison between him and Fantine. Hugo tells us that even while Fantine is in poverty she brushes her hair with a fine comb and treats it like silken floss. It's only until Fantine loses her hair and her teeth that she is truly unhappy. Perhaps Montparnasse uses his looks to cope with his poverty too. 

“Few prowlers were so dreaded as Montparnasse. At eighteen, he had already numerous corpses in his past. More than one passer-by lay with outstretched arms in the presence of this wretch, with his face in a pool of blood. Curled, pomaded, with laced waist, the hips of a woman, the bust of a Prussian officer, the murmur of admiration from the boulevard wenches surrounding him, his cravat knowingly tied, a bludgeon in his pocket, a flower in his buttonhole; such was this dandy of the sepulchre.”

Here we see that, although Montparnasse is the youngest of the Patron-Minette, he is one of the most feared. He also probably moans that meeting in a sewer is cramping his style. We notice that through most of his introduction, crime is mixed with fashion and elegance, much like Montparnasse himself. Hugo portrays him as a being that is treading the dangerous line of beauty and crime constantly, all while masquerading as a respectable dandy with a flower in his buttonhole.

Now we will move on to some of the evidence we have in the book that Montparnasse is not only a villain, but also exists as a parallel to Enjolras and as an example of what Gavroche could possibly become when he grew up. It also supports Aristotle's theory of vices and virtues making the person. 

If you read the entirety of Les Miserables you will notice in Enjolras's description he is described as being feminine and as a “Charming young man, who was capable of being terrible” (Les Miserables, Volume III, Book IV, chapter I) We know that Montparnasse is described as feminine and at the end of his description he is described as a “Terrible young man, who was capable of being charming” (Volume III, Book VII, chapter III) This makes us wonder if Hugo is leading us to draw a parallel between Enjolras and Montparnasse. If we do decide to draw this parallel, we begin to question what makes Enjolra's killing any different from Montparnasse's. You could say that Enjolras's is right because its for a good cause, but Enjolras himself is a criminal, just of a different and by law, worse kind. You could say Enjolras is better than Montparnasse because of his loyalty to his friends, but Montparnasse is also incredibly loyal. The proof of this comes in the scene where Thenardier is imprisoned and the Patron-Minette and Gavroche are helping to break him out. When they hit a rough patch in their plan and the rest of Patron-Minette wants to give up so they don't get caught by the police. This is when Montparnasse utters the line that proves he is just as loyal to his friends as Enjolras is to his. “One doesn't desert one's friends in a scrape” (Volume IV, Book VI, chapter III) We see that Enjolras and Montparnasse are really not that different when you break it down and by that logic, if you're going to interpret Montparnasse as abusive, you should interpret Enjolras the same way.

Next, let's cover Montparnasse's interactions with Gavroche. Most of these interactions are amusing and feel almost like comic relief, thanks to the nature of Gavroche's character. The first interaction between Montparnasse and Gavroche we see is also Montparnasse's first, and only, interaction with Jean Valjean. While Gavroche is waiting in a hedge to rob Mabeuf of some of his fruit, he spots Montparnasse stalking Valjean and then gets to witness Mont get his 'Parnasse handed to him by Valjean. As Hugo puts it, “The wolf who has been caught by a sheep.” (Volume IV, Book IV, chapter II) After Valjean gives Montparnasse a two-page monologue on how he shouldn't want to be a thief, you're going to get caught, they'll make you eat grass, (“You will eat grass like the beasts of the forest” (Volume IV, Book IV, chapter III)) and then gives him a whole long in-detail list on how to escape jail, he just gives Montparnasse his purse and walks away. Montparnasse finishes off this encounter by mumbling “The blockhead!” and then promptly getting robbed by Gavroche, who throws the purse into Mabeuf's garden.

The next interaction between Montparnasse and Gavroche happens when Montparnasse runs into Gavroche taking the two gamins he found to his home and when Montparnasse asks where his lodgings are, he gets the following reply:

““In the elephant,” said Gavroche. Montparnasse, though not naturally inclined to astonishment, could not restrain an exclamation. “In the elephant!””

In that second encounter, Montparnasse also tells Gavroche about the purse he 'lost' and Gavroche acts like he has no clue what happened to it like he wasn't the one who robbed him. A+ Gav, Bahorel would be proud. Hugo also draws a nice parallel, where Gavroche interacting with both the Patron-Minette and Les Amis, bridges a gap between the two groups so we can realize how similar they actually are. It also shows both of the ways Gavroche could grow up to be like. We have Montparnasse as the gamin on the crime side and Feuilly as the gamin on the honest side.

We will give a quick account of what could be proof that Montparnasse was dating Eponine (If he was, he was a crap boyfriend to her) before we move onto the next part. While Thenardier is getting the rest of the Patron-Minette and his family to help him rob and possibly murder Jean Valjean, Montparnasse decides that he doesn't really want to be a criminal today, he wants to be a lover. So he stays out and “chills” with Eponine. Even though Eponine doesn't seem too interested in Montparnasse, he's still distracting so she doesn't see the cops until its too late. Yet, he still manages to escape before the cops can see him. In another part, he is referred to as Thenardier's unoffical son-in-law. Then we have the scene where the Patron-Minette tries to break into Valjean's house and Eponine keeps them out. In this scene, twice Montparnasse warns Eponine about his open knife. Now, how you interpret this is really based on what you think Montparnasse's character is like. I will tell you the way I interpret it.

“Eponine caught Montparnasse's hand.  
“Take care,” said he, “you'll cut yourself, I've a knife open.””

And then again he warns Eponine about his knife:

““My good friend, Mr. Montparnasse,” said Eponine, “I entreat you, you are a good fellow, don't enter.”  
“Take care, you'll cut yourself,” replied Montparnasse.”” 

Now Montparnasse could be using this as a thinly veiled threat or he could be warning Eponine about the knife. But if we read the line after the first encounter with the knife and look into it we might realize something... 

““My little Montparnasse,” responded Eponine very gently, “you must have confidence in people.””

Perhaps Eponine is just going to Montparnasse because he has a thing going on with her OR she could be going to him because he seems like the one who is gentler and is less likely to hurt her. How you take that is all up to you. As the scene goes on Montparnasse keeps trying to get everyone to follow through with the plan still, but everyone loses heart. Now some may say because of the following line Montparnasse seemed almost eager to hurt Eponine; but once again, I will be trying to disprove that.

“As they went away, Montparnasse muttered:  
“Never mind! If they had wanted, I'd have cut her throat.”  
Babet responded:  
“I wouldn't. I don't hit a lady.””

The way I interpret Montparnasse in this whole scene is kind of as just trying to be cool in front of his friends for his reputation. If you look at the scenes where he is interacting with others without the Patron-Minette or Thenardier around, he doesn't seem to be as threatening or dangerous. Besides, he wouldn't be the most feared if he came off soft in front of the people to whom it mattered. In to this part, even if you think Montparnasse is abusive, that gives you no excuse to portray Jehan as a damsel in distress. Also, if everyone can all but completely ignore Enjolras and Eponine's bad parts in fan fiction, they can do the same with Montparnasse, can't they? 

 

Now we will cover how the fandom wrongly and rightly portrays Montparnasse. Let's begin with the right ways, as they are fewer. He is always portrayed as tall, dark, and stunning which is most definitely correct. He is also always a thief and always inexplicably a murderer, even when all the fired-up revolutionaries are tame college students. So that one is correct, in a way. The last few right things are that he's a sulky teenager, he's a fashionista, he's poor, he's friends with Eponine and Gavroche, he's narcissistic, and that he's part of the Patron-Minette. Now for all of the wrong reasons. First off, my main point, abusive. Nowhere in the book does it imply that Montparnasse is violent towards those he cares about, so when some people put him with Jehan, why does he inexplicably become abusive? Yes, he would be a bad influence on Jehan, yes their relationship would probably be unhealthy, but it would never be abusive. That brings me to my next point and the opposite side of the spectrum, when people make Montparnasse too vanilla. The key to writing Montparnasse correctly, is to find that fine line between awful person and nice enough to be an Amis. One of the good, not too vanilla ways to write him is to write him as gentler with whoever you pair him with, but borderline obsessive with them. Also to keep his aloofness, he would never get along with Les Amis. This is proven in a scrapped scene of Les Miserables where Les Amis and Patron-Minette meet in a quarry like a gang fight is going to go down (spoiler alert, it doesn't. Enjolras just tells the Patron-Minette that if he sees any of them on the barricade, he'll shoot them.) 

In conclusion, nowhere in Les Miserables canon is Montparnasse shown to abuse anyone he cares about. If we knew the tone he was supposed to have when warning Eponine of the knife during the Rue Plumet scene, we could have an even more definite conclusion that he isn't abusive or have a legit argument against the case we have made. The only definite claim we can make is that Montparnasse is not the villain in Les Mis. The only real villains in Les Mis are the Thenardiers and life itself.

**Author's Note:**

> If you still disagree with this and think Montparnasse is abusive, fight me


End file.
